This soup is light and easy to prepare. It’s naturally sweet ingredients give it a taste and texture that are rich and creamy without the harmful calories and cholesterol. It calls for buttercup squash, similar in looks to acorn squash but much tastier.
Ingredients:
One buttercup squash – cut into quarters
Two medium sweet potatoes – cut into one-inch rounds
Two whole leeks – washed well and sliced
One yellow onion – diced
Two medium carrots – diced
3 cups of vegetable broth
Two tablespoons of coconut oil
2 cloves of garlic – minced
½ inch slice of fresh ginger – grated
Himalayan sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roast the squash and sweet potato in a roasting pan for 50 to 60 minutes or until they are tender.
In a medium sized pan, sauté the onions in the coconut oil until they are translucent. Add the leeks and carrots and sauté until they are all softened (about 15 minutes).
Remove from heat and add the garlic and ginger. At this time, season the veggies with the Himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste.
When the buttercup squash and sweet potatoes are easy to poke with a fork, they are tender. At this time, remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit so that you can easily peel their skins off.
Once they are peeled, add them to the pot with the leeks, carrots, and onions.
Add the vegetable broth and transfer all of the ingredients to a powerful blender. You can also use a hand mixer if this works well for you.
As you blend it all together, the ingredients will be transformed into a wonderful, savory soup.
To add extra flavor and texture, top with fresh cilantro leaves or slices of avocado.
Transfer to serving bowls and enjoy as a standalone meal or appetizer.
Green cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable that is rich in phytonutrients. Working against free radicals, phytonutrients actually increase the production of enzymes in our bodies that are increase detoxification in our bodies.
This soup is chock full of nutrition. All of the ingredients involved are fresh and unprocessed providing enormous health benefits. The ingredient list is quite long, but the flavors come together wonderfully in this soup.
Ingredients:
• 6 cups of vegetable stock (you can use a quality bouillon to make this broth)
• 1/3 cup brown rice (uncooked)
• 2 inch piece seaweed (kombu)
• 2 cups of beans – you can use pinto beans, white beans or garbanzo beans
(see preparation instructions below or use 2 cans of beans)
• 1 tablespoon cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 small head green cabbage, cored and cut in half lengthwise then cut into thin strips
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced thinly
• 2 cups diced white potato
• 1/2 teaspoon dried ground fennel
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaf
• 2 cups fresh roma tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• black pepper to taste
Method:
• In a large stock pot, add the vegetable stock with the brown rice, kombu, and bay leaf. Once you have brought to a boil, cover, and simmer
• Mix all of the spices together and combine well in a separate bowl
• In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat and add the garlic and ginger. Saute for a couple of minutes
• Add the vegetables and sauté with the garlic and ginger for an additional 5 minutes
• Add in the spice mixture and sauté for one minute
• Remove the vegetables from the heat and add it to the soup
• Add the beans and the tomatoes to the soup and bring it to a boil
• Simmer for about 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender and the rice is cooked
How To Cook the Beans Ahead of time:
• Soak the beans of your choice as follows: garbanzo beans – 12 hours; white beans – 8 hours; pinto or kidney beans – 4 hours
• To cut the soaking time in half, use hot water, changing it several times
• Rinse and drain the beans and put into a sauce pot. Add enough cold water to cover them and bring them to a boil
• Skim the foam that forms after ten minutes of boiling and boil covered for another 1-2 hours until tender
Anyone who has read any of the other soup recipes contained in this blog will know that I am a fanatic for using pure and natural ingredients. You will never find a processed product in any of the soups that I include on this site. When it comes to eating, I am a purest. But, I also like my foods to taste good! This soup is a Japanese classic. It is pure and simple to prepare.
Soy is so beneficial to us in so many ways. It contains phytochemicals which have shown a profound benefit to human health. Soy promotes heart health and healthy bones. It has also been shown to prevent cancer and alleviate bothersome menopausal symptoms.
Soy beans contain high amounts of protein. It is the only vegetable source that contains all of the essential amino acids. Soy beans are also rich in calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. They really are a wonder food. There has been some negative press about soy lately. However, it appears that the soy that has been shown to be an issue is soy that has been adulterated. Stick to the organic, Non-GMO soy that is a food and stay away from processed soy products including those that are contained in supplements and you should be fine.
Enjoy this healthy food and easy recipe.
Ingredients:
2 – 4 tablespoons organic white miso paste (to taste)
2 – 3 ounces firm tofu (2 handfuls), chopped into 1/3-inch cubes
a handful of baby spinach, dulse flakes or nori pieces
2 green onions, tops removed thinly sliced
Method:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Reduce the heat to simmer and remove the pan from the heat. In a small bowl, pour a bit of the hot water and whisk it together with the miso paste to thin it out a bit.
By doing this it will prevent the miso paste from clumping. Once the miso paste is well dissolved, stir the bowl of dissolved miso back into the pot. Give it a taste, and slowly add more miso using the same method a bit at a time until the broth has the miso taste you desire.
Once you have made this soup a couple of times it will be second nature and you will know exactly how much to add each time. Since miso paste comes in many varieties, you may wish to vary the miso that you use. Some misos are not as salty tasting as others. So, again, once you become accustomed to making the soup with the miso you like, you will become adept at adding the right amount. If you miso you like is not salty and you wish a saltier flavor, you can add some sea salt or soy sauce to your broth to taste.
Once you have the broth developed, add the tofu, remove from the soup from the heat and let it sit for a minute or two. Then add the baby spinach or seaweed. Ladle out into bowls and enjoy!
Makes 2-3 servings.
This is one of those healthy soup recipes that has been in my family for generations. Its origin lies with my grandmother. She was an immigrant and they had no money to spare when my dad was growing up. When she was a young mother, she would prepare this soup when there was little else in the house. Times were slim and she could prepare the family a healthy food that was a hearty soup to fill their bellies and provide them with proper nutrition. It is so simple and quick to prepare.
It was always the go to soup that my grandmother or mom would make whenever anyone got sick. It’s one of those easy recipes where you typically have all of the ingredients in the house, making it a good choice for a quick meal. It takes minimal effort to prepare. No chopping, prepping or pre-preparation.
I have adapted it a little bit to fit my vegan ways. However, this is not a completely vegan recipe. It is vegetarian as it does include egg. Since the egg is such a vital ingredient, I didn’t want to eliminate it. The ingredients are all pure and this is simple to make. You can have it on the table in about 30 minutes total.
This is one of my family’s favorite vegetarian recipes. It is one of their favorite soup recipes as well.
Ingredients:
4 cloves of garlic – chopped
olive oil
½ package of broad whole wheat egg noodles
one organic egg
3 vegetable bouillon cubes
8 cups purified water
black pepper to taste
Method:
Heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large stock pan
Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes
Add the water and bouillon
When the water comes to a boil, reduce heat and add the whole wheat egg noodles
Let the soup cook with the egg noodles until they are tender
Turn off the stove
Crack the egg and beat it in a separate bowl
Add the beaten egg into the soup pot mixing as you pour it in
The egg will cook right in the soup in appear like scrambled strips
Add black pepper to taste
Serve immediately.
My family loves this soup! It is one of our favorite vegetarian recipes and is hearty and delicious. Since peas are in the legume family, they provide many of the typical nutritional benefits found in legumes, such as high protein, high fiber, and low fat.
This is one of those soup recipes that is easy to prepare and inexpensive. Total cooking time is a couple of hours. Preparation time is about 15-20 minutes. The only advance preparation necessary is to soak the split peas overnight.
When you soak them beforehand you can shorten their cooking time and make them more easily digestible and the soaking breaks down some of the natural sugars in the peas. As far as seasoning this soup, all you need to add is some vegetable bouillon. This will add all of the scrumptious flavor that you need.
Whenever I make a pot of this soup, I always think that I will have a good amount of leftovers to enjoy over the next few days. But, alas, it never lasts that long!
Ingredients:
1 cup of organic green split peas (soaked overnight)
1 yellow onion – diced
3 tablespoons extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 whole organic carrot – cut into small pieces (peeling is not necessary)
2 stalks of organic celery – cut into small pieces
3 vegetable bouillon cubes (preferable without added MSG)
8 cups of purified water
½ cup of brown rice (to make a heartier soup)
Method:
In a large stock pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil until it is translucent (about 5 minutes), stirring often
Add the split peas and sauté for a couple of minutes
Add the carrot and celery and sauté for another 5 minutes
Add the water, bouillon and bay leaf mix together well
Add the brown rice
Bring to a boil over medium heat
Once it comes to a boil lower the heat to a simmer
Cover the pot and simmer for about 2 hours
The split peas will open and naturally collapse to form a purée. When this happens the soup is ready.
There is a small Lebanese restaurant close by that serves the closest to my grandmother’s cooking as I’ve been able to find. Whenever we go, we always are more than happy to only order a bunch of the wonderful appetizers. Hummus (a chickpea dish), Baba ghanoush (a roasted eggplant dish), kalamata olives, pickled turnips, tabouleh, spinach pies, falafel and pita bread makes up a hearty meal that my family loves. For me, it brings back memories of sitting around my grandparent’s table and sharing dinner.
This is one of those great healthy soup recipes that there just is no match for. And, it is completely vegan.
Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion – diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic – sliced or crushed
1 cup of brown lentils (soaked overnight)
½ cup of brown rice pasta – penne or ziti works best
1 large organic carrot – diced
½ cup of chick peas*
2 stalks organic celery – diced
½ cup of kidney beans*
3 vegetable bouillon cubes
Juice of ½ of an organic lemon
8 cups of purified water
Dash of dried mint leaves, cinnamon, cumin
Method:
In a large stock pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent (about 5 minutes), stirring often
Add the lentils and sauté another 2 minutes
Add the water and all other remaining ingredients
Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer
Cover the pot and simmer for about 1 ½ hours or until lentils are tender.
Enjoy!
* If you don’t want to use canned chick peas or kidney beans, you can use dried, soaked beans. Soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the beans. Cover the beans with water in a sauce pot and cook on low heat for at least an hour. They should be almost tender when you remove them from the stove. They will finish cooking in the soup recipe.
3 tablespoons first cold pressed, organic, extra-virgin olive oil
2 whole organic leeks – sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (use entire leek)
2 chopped yellow onions
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
2 large uncooked Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 pound) or 3 smaller ones – peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 vegetable bouillon cubes (non-MSG versions preferred)
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
4 cups of purified water
1 sliced green onion or diced chives for garnish
Method:
In a large stock pot, sauté the onion, leeks and Himalayan sea salt until the yellow onion turns slightly translucent (about 5 minutes) – stirring often
Add the garlic and stir well with the onion and leeks. Sauté for another minute
Add the potatoes and sauté for about a minute or two
Add the water and bouillon cubes
Cover and bring the soup to a brisk boil
Reduce heat to a simmer
Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes
Turn off the heat and use an immersion or hand held stick blender to puree the soup in the pot. You can also pour the soup into a blender and puree the soup one cup at a time.
Add the fresh rosemary leaves while blending and blend until smooth making sure that all of the chunks are pureed out.
Once the soup is pureed and smooth, return to the soup pot to reheat.
Top with sliced green onion or chives for garnish. Serve hot.
Make 4 – 6 servings
Vegetables contain many of the nutrients that our bodies need. It is important to eat them on a daily basis. Try to fit in as much raw produce as possible. Fruits can be easily blended into a smoothie (see my site: www.myhealthysmoothierecipes.com for some great recipe ideas). And, greens can be chopped into a salad. In fact, the more diverse the ingredients in a salad, the tastier it is. You can add several different greens to your salad to make it more nutrient rich and it will taste delicious.
This is one of the healthy recipes I make for my family often in the winter. It carries over to the summer too, but the cold weather for me is when I crave soup! There is nothing more warming and comforting on a cold winter day.
Try this soup with an avocado, tomato and cucumber sandwich on Ezekiel bread with a little Follow Your Heart eggless mayonnaise. It is a winning combination.
Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion – chopped
3 tablespoons of olive oil
½ head of cauliflower chopped into small pieces
2 carrots – diced
3 ribs of celery – diced
1 medium zucchini – diced
1 small eggplant – diced (peeling is optional)
Three ripe Roma tomatoes – diced
3 cloves of garlic – crushed
Salt, pepper, oregano, basil, mint and whatever other herbs you love – fresh herbs work best if possible – all to taste
3 vegetable bouillon cubes (optional)
8 cups of purified water
Method:
In a large stock pot, sauté onion in olive oil until it is translucent
Add garlic and sauté another minute or two
Add all other vegetables and sauté until soft about 5 minutes
Add the water, herbs and bouillon
Simmer until the water boils and the bouillon melt (about 20 minutes)
Serve immediately